South  America 
Mission 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL 
CHURCH 


Uainaf 


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in  2017  with  funding  from 
Columbia  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/aroundacrosssoutOOcarr_0 


H.  K.  CARROLL,  LL.D. 


Around  and  Across 
South  America 


Viewing  the 

Mission  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church 


By 

H.  K.  CARROLL,  LI,.D. 

First  Assistant  Corresponding  Secretary 


THE  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 
OF  THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

OPEN  DOOR  EMERGENCY  COMMISSION 
150  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


PRICE,  TEN  CENTS 


Edited  by 

CHARLES  H.  MORGAN 


AROUND  AND  ACROSS 
SOUTH  AMERICA 


THE  TOUR  IN  OUTLINE 

tour  and  observations,  account  of  which 
given  in  the  following  pages,  were  under- 
ken in  response  to  the  instructions  of  the 
jard  of  Managers  of  the  Missionary  Society 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  to  make 
a thorough  inspection  of  its  mission  fields  in 
South  Ame-iica,  The  time  was  opportune.  South  America, 
next  to  Africa  the  earliest  field  of  missionary  operations  by 
our  church,  was  entered  in  1836.  The  years  of  comparatively 
slow  development  permitted  in  1893  the  organization 
Time  of  all  our  work  on  the  continent  as  the  South  Amer- 

Opportune  ica  Conference.  In  1897  the  portion  on  the  Pacific 
coast  was  given  separate  organization.  But  by  the 
General  Conference  of  1904  the  field  was  reorganized,  so  that 
the  South  America  Conference  should  include  the  republics 
of  Argentina,  Uruguay,  Paraguay,  and  Brazil ; the  Andes 
Conference,  the  republics  of  Chile  and  Bolivia;  and  the  North 
Andes  Mission,  the  northern  part  of  the  continent.  Bishop 
Thomas  B.  Neely  also  became  the  first  resident  bishop,  and 
it  was  in  company  with  him  in  his  entrance  upon  his  work 
in  South  America  and  presidency  at  the  sessions  of  the  Mission 
and  two  Conferences  named  that  my  tour  of  inspection  was 
made. 

I left  New  York  December  28,  1904,  with  Bishop  and 
Mrs.  Neely  and  their  niece,  by  the  steamer  Seguranca,  and 
after  an  uneventful  voyage  of  seven  days  landed  at  Colon 

5 


January  4,  190.5.  I visited  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and 
studied  conditions  along  the  line  of  the  canal,  with  the  view 
to  the  establishment  of  missions  in  the  new  repul)lic;  spent 
some  days  in  Lima  and  Callao,  attending  the  first 
Stages  of  annual  meeting  of  North  Andes  ^Mission  and  inspect- 

Tour  ing  our  work  in  Peru;  attended  the  first  meeting  of 

Andes  Conference  at  Coquimbo,  Chile,  and  visited 
other  points  in  that  republic,  including  Iquique,  Antofaga.sta, 
Serena,  Valparaiso,  Santiago,  Concepcion,  Temuco,  and  Vic- 


CASCADnS,  CHAGRES  RIVER,  I'AXAMA 


toria,  and  inspected  our  church  and  school  properties.  My 
tour  of  the  West  Coast  completed,  I crossed  the  Andes,  start- 
ing from  Santiago,  and  visited  Mendoza,  Mercedes,  Buenos 
Ayres,  La  Plata,  Lomas,  and  Rosario,  in  Argentina,  and 
Montevideo,  in  Uruguay,  where  the  South  America  Confer- 
ence met  in  annual  session  March  22.  From  Montevideo 
the  return  voyage  was  by  steamer  to  Rio  Janeiro,  where 
G 


SOUTH  AMERICA  — ROUTE  OF  OR.  CARROLL 


lour  days  were  spent,  and  direct  from  Rio  Janeiro,  by  the 
steamer  Byron,  reaching  New  York  April  19,  1905.  The  tour 
occupied  nearly  four  months,  or,  more  exactly  one  hundred 
and  twelve  days,  of  which  fifty-two  were  spent  at  sea.  In  all 
I traveled  about  15,000  miles.  The  ocean  voyage  was  free 
from  storms  and  high  winds,  and  my  journe3's  on  land  were 
marred  by  no  accidents,  illness,  or  disagreeable  occurrences. 

MEN  AND  THINGS  ON  THE  ISTHMUS 

The  isthmus  is  not  particularly  picturesque.  I, oft}"  hills 
lie  to  the  north  and  the  south  of  the  Canal  Zone  and  at  the 
Pacific  entrance,  with  one,  Culebra,  about  three  hundred  feet 
high  in  the  path  of  the  canal.  Where  the  railroad  crosses, 
following  the  course  of  the  canal,  the  country  lies  low. 
Isthmus  mostly,  and  much  of  it  is  swampy.  The  cocoanut 
Described  and  other  palms  flourish,  and  the  banana  greedily 
drinks  in  the  moisture  and  glories  in  the  heat.  It 
would  seem  that  sugar  cane,  cacao,  and  other  tropical  pro- 
ductions would  flourish  if  enterprising  men  would  give  them 
the  chance. 

The  railroad  is  a little  less  than  forty-eight  miles  in  length. 
It  is  said  to  have  cost  an  immense  sum  when  it  was  built, 
some  fifty  years  ago,  largely  by  American  capital.  It  is  a 
single-track  road,  five  feet  gauge,  with  first-class  and  second- 
class  cars.  The  best  trains  make  the  trip  from  ocean 
Railroad  to  ocean  in  about  two  hours.  It  has  been  a paying  in- 
vestment from  the  beginning.  The  employees,  except 
conductors  and  engineers,  are  colored  men,  largely  from  Ja- 
maica. Great  numbers  of  these  West  Indian  negroes  are  on 
the  isthmus,  and  they  form  two  thirds  or  more  of  the  popu- 
lation of  Colon.  They  generally  speak  English. 
Nation’s  Recent  It  is  wonderful  how  Uncle  Sam  is  spreading 
Record  himself  in  these  recent  years, and  how  well  known 

he  is  in  the  wide,  wide  world.  Here  he  is  in  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  two  thousand  miles  south  of  Chicago, 
running  a railroad,  digging  a canal,  and  caring  for 
the  health  of  Panamanians.  You  see  his  flag  on  one 
of  his  war  vessels  when  you  disembark  at  Colon  ; you  see 

8 


it  in  tlie  Canal  Zone,  ten  miles  wide,  as  yon  cross  tlie  isthmus, 
and  you  see  it  on  another  war  vessel  in  the  Pacific  as  you 
leave  Panama.  And  the  finest  building  in  Panama  is  not 
the  cathedral,  nor  the  palace  of  the  president  of 
The  Governor  the  repul)lic,  but  the  big  four-story,  clean-looking 
General  edifice  occupied  by  General  Davis  and  other  offi- 

cers of  the  canal.  It  is  something  in  tliese  days 
to  be  one  of  Uncle  Sam’s  numerous  children. 

But  is  it  not  strange  that  the  United  States  should  begin 
the  greate.st  undertaking  of  modern  times  Iry  making  war  on 


HOSITI  AL  .-vr  COLON 

moscpiitoes?  AA'hen  the  I.sthmian  Railroad  was  built,  more 
than  half  a century  ago,  there  was  a frigid ful  loss  of  human 
life.  The  sacrifice,  it  is  commonly  said,  was  a man  for  every 
railroad  tie.  While  it  is  true  the  French  Canal  Coin- 
War  on  pany  did  not  fight  the  mosquitoes,  they  did  make 

M osquitoes  generous  provision  for  the  health  of  their  employees. 

We  want  to  guard  against  malaria  and  pernicious 
fevers,  and  especially  again.st  the  dread  scourge,  yellow  fever. 
Bacteriological  research  has  shown  that  the  cause  of  these 
diseases  is  a minute  germ,  a bacillus,  and  these  bacilli  are 

9 


curried  about  by  a I'einale  inos(juito  of  the  genus  known  as 
“ anoplieles.”  W'e  are  making  war  on  the  mosfiuito,  and 
taking  sanitary  measures  to  make  the  istlimus  a healthy 
place  to  live  and  work,  and  put  an  end  to  Yellow  Jack.” 
This  is  according  to  the  latest  science,  and  it  not  only  has  the 
support  of  a sound  pliilosophy,  but  is  grandly  philanthropic 


Cn.KBR.C  CCT,  T>AN.\.MA  CANAL 
Old  Freiu  li  at  work 


Uncle  Sam  is  trying  to  inculcate  cleanliness.  Every 
passenger  receives  a circular  advising  certain  precautions  foi’ 
the  preservation  of  the  health,  one  of  which  is  always 
Physical  and  to  sleep  under  a mosquito  canopy,  which  the  hotels 

Moral  Clean-  provide  for  every  bed.  The  governor  of  the  Canal 

liness  Zone  is  also  solicitous  for  the  morals  of  the  Zone, 

anti  has  forbidden  the  sale  of  tickets  of  the  Panama 

lottery  therein.  The  lottery  company,  which  has  its  office 
in  the  episcopal  palace  building,  contends  that  the  treaty 

to 


gives  tlie  goveriHjr  no  autliority  to  prohil.)it  the  sale  of  its 
tickets,  but  the  United  States  jiuige  here  has  decided  that 
it  does,  and  an  appeal  to  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  has 
resulted  in  sustaining  his  decision.  Isn’t  it  fine  to  belong  to 
a nation  which  believes  that  cleanliness  is  akin  to  godliness, 
and  that  morality  partakes  of  godliness? 

But  some  one  will  ask:  “ Isn’t  the  United  States  doing  any- 
thing but  ‘cleaning  up’  the  zone?  Isn’t  it  doing  any  digging?” 
Well,  yes.  I was  pri\-ileged  with  Bishop  Neely  to  have  an 
invitation,  with  the  memlrers  of  the  Pan-American 
Powerful  Medical  Congress,  meeting  early  in  ,Ianuary,  in  Pan- 
Machines  ania,  to  go  on  an  excursion  to  the  ileep  cut  at  Cule- 

at  Work  lira,  about  half  an  hour’s  ride  l)y  train  from  Panama. 

'We  watched  a dredge  operating  on  one  of  the  slojies, 
smoothing  them  off  rapidly,  and  loading  the  clay  in  cars.  But 
wliat  most  of  the  company  were  specially  intere.sted  in  was  an 
American  machine  loading  broken  rocks,  and  they  could  not 
withhold  hearty  applause  at  some  of  the  wonderful  feats  of 
the  powerful  machine.  After  it  was  announced  that  twenty 
of  these  dredges  had  been  ordered,  a doctor  of  the  party 
said:  “I  have  been  skeptical  as  to  this  canal,  but  I am  so 
no  longer.  I believe  it  will  be  built.” 

The  canal  will  be  much  larger  than  the  French  jilan  called 
for.  It  will  have  thirty-five  feet  of  water  iirstead  of  twenty- 
nine.  It  will  be  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide  at  the 
bottom  instead  of  seventy-five,  and  the  sides  will  proli- 
Features  alily  be  built  of  ma.sonry.  It  will  cost  hundreds  of 
of  Canal  millions,  Imt  it  will  pay,  and  it  will  be  a great  boon  to 
floating  commerce. 

Colon  lies  low  and  is  wet  and  warm  ; Panama  is  cquallv 
hot,  but  the  climate  is  drier  and  free  from  the  heavy  .storms 
which  break  occasionally  on  the  Atlantic  side.  Pan- 
Isthmian  ama  is  a typical  Spanish-American  city.  Its  streets 
Cities  and  are  narrow,  uneven,  and  dusty  ; its  buildings  of  a 
People  uniform  .shape,  order,  and  color;  its  plazas  well  kept, 
with  plants  and  royal  ]ialms  offering  bright  oases  of 
green  in  the  desert  of  brick  and  mortar  ; its  population 
more  cosmopolitan  than  one  would  expect.  English  is  as 

11 


coniinon  as  tlie  S])anisli.  The  Tanania  Herald  is  bilingual. 
Hut  tliougli  clerks  and  caliiiuai  ahuo.st  invariably  speak  the 
tongue  ol'  tlie  Americans  and  many  citizens  of  the  United 
States  are  residents  here,  the  American  s])irit  is  lacking.  There 
is  no  enterprise,  no  progre.ssiveness.  The  people  are  willing 


Tim  ('.\Tm:i)ii.\i., 


enougli  to  have  prosperity,  but  somebody  else  mu.st  Iiring  it. 
Tliey  are  keen  to  jirofit  by  the  increased  demand  for  prop- 
erty, which  is  scarce  ; but  they  will  hohl  on  to  ecclesiastical 
and  other  ruins,  as  they  have  ilone  for  half  a century  or  more, 
and  ask  exorbitant  jirices  for  them,  in.steail  of  rebuilding 


them  and  offering  them  for  rent  or  for  sale.  . They  had  a 
tramway  in  Panama,  but  they  got  rid  of  it,  and  take  cabs 
over  the  coljblestone  streets  to  the  depot  and  pay  fifty  cents 
native  money,  when  they  miglit  ride  smoothly  and  cheaply 
in  a trolley.  Part  of  the  track  .still  remains.  An.ericans  must 
come  to  the  isthmus  and  teach  these  easy-going  jieople  how 
to  mend  their  ways,  so  that  the  stay  of  the  tr.-n'eler  in  Panama 
will  l)e  less  of  a horror  and  more  of  a pleasure. 

The  Panamanians  also  need  to  learn  better  ways  in  morals 
ami  religion.  On  the  west  sitle  of  the  chief  plaza  .stamls  the 
cathedral;  on  the  north  side  is  the  palace  of  the  bishop. 
Under  the  epi.sco])al  residence  is  the  Panama  lottery. 
Lax  Everyliody  patronizes  it,  and  the  church,  I am  told. 

Morals  profits  by  the  business.  The  jiriests  arc  well-dressed, 
fine-looking  men,  dignified  in  bearing,  and  in  ajipearance 
more  intellectual  than  those  of  the  W'est  Indies;  but  in  mor- 
als they  are  said  to  be  far  below  grade.  The  assistant  to 
the  bishop  lives  openly,  a respectable,  and  intelligent  resident 
told  me,  witli  the  woman  who  has  liorne  children  to  him. 
What  of  the  influence  of  the  church  wlien  its  priests  set  such 
examples? 

The  week  spent  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  was  chiefly 
occupied  with  ascertaining  what  oiiportunities  there  might  be 
for  missionary  work  there.  Ur.  I\'ood  had  been  in  the  city 
of  Panama  for  many  weeks,  and  gave  us  much 
Missionary  help  in  our  search  for  property.  The  chief  places 
Opportunities  along  the  line  of  the  canal  are  the  city  of  Panama, 
on  the  Pacific,  ju.st  outside  the  Canal  Zone;  Colon, 
on  the  Atlantic;  Culebra,  where  the  deeji  cut  in  the  canal  is 
to  be  made,  and  wliere  four  hundred  or  five  hundred  ma- 
rines are  encamped,  ami  Ancon,  the  headipiarters  of  the 
canal  government,  near  Panama.  Besides  tlie  marines  and 
officers  and  engineers  at  Canpi  Elliott,  for  whom  there  is  no 
Protestant  service,  there  are  at  Ancon  and  in  Panama  hun- 
dreds of  Americans,  nearly  all  connected  with  the  canal,  with 
no  Protestant  pastor  to  care  for  them. 

In  Colon  there  is  an  Anglican  and  a Wesleyan  cliapel,  in 
charge  of  colored  pastors  from  Jamaica,  and  a po.st  of  the 

13 


Salvation  Army.  TIio  liisliop  and  mysell'  concur  in  tlie 
judgment  tliat  we  liav(>  no  call  to  enter  Colon,  whose  popu- 
lation, numhei'ing  two  or  three  thousand,  is 
Religious  Work  chiefly  colored.  A reading  room  and  occasional 
at  Colon  services  would  he  a boon  to  the  officers  and 

men  .stationed  there. 

Panama,  the  important  city  of  the  Isthmus,  has  an  Angli- 
can and  a Wesleyan  clia])el  for  the  colored  people,  luit  no 
other  Protestant  churches.  Among  its  twenty  thousand  in- 
habitants are  many  Americans  and  others  who  speak  English. 
The  Spanish-speaking  majority,  seeing  that  American  influ- 
ence must  ]iredominate,  are  alive  to  the  imjxjrtaTice  of  having 
their  children  educated  in  American  scliools;  and  as  a means 
of  reaching  the  higher  classes,  whose  religious  prej- 
Beginnings  udices  are  .strong,  we  deemed  it  important  to  open 
at  Panama  a school  in  the  city,  and  Brother  "Shmee  and  wife 
who  are  teachers  of  experience  with  a fair  knowl- 
edge of  the  Spanisli  language,  were  appointed  I)y  Bishop 
Neely  for  that  purjiose.  They  iirrlved  in  Panama  in  April, 
IhO.i,  and  opened  a school.  Services  in  .Spanish  and  En- 
glish were  inaugurated  by  Dr.  AVoorl  at  the  end  of  April. 
The  selection  of  one  or  two  missionaries  to  preach  in  iSjianish 
in  Panama  and  in  English  in  Ancon  and  ('ulel)ra  is  in  the 
bishojr’s  jilan,  and  with  the  approval  of  the  Board  of  .Mana- 
gers, it  is  ho])ed  may  be  ]iromptly  made  so  as  to  relieve  Dr. 
AVood  and  allow  him  to  I’eturn  to  his  work  in  Peru. 

INTO  AND  OUT  OF  ECUADOR  AND  PERU 
From  Panama  to  Callao,  Pent,  is  a journey  of  about  nine 
days.  ( )n  the  way  we  stoi)ped  a day  or  so  at  C;uaya(|uil, 
Ecuador.  Some  of  our  former  missionaries,  under  Dr. 
AVood’s  superintendence,  have  been  teachers  in  government 
Normal  Schools  at  (juito  and  Cuenca,  and  their 
Prospects  in  names  have  appeared  among  the  ajipointments  of 
Ecuador  the  Lima  District.  Brother  Trigoyen,  an  ordained 

deacon,  a colporteur  of  the  American  Bible  Society, 
has  reported  small  companies  of  evangelical  believers  at 
Guayaquil  and  other  places  as  one  of  the  results  of  his  work, 

H 


I)ut  we  have  no  organized  clmrcli  in  Ecuador.  The  new  presi- 
dent, though  a Liberal,  is  not  believed  to  po.ssess  the  firmness 
of  his  immediate  predecessors  in  keeping  down  the  active 
spirit  of  persecution  by  the  priests,  and  outbreaks  such  as 
have  occurred  at  Quito  and  C'uenca  within  recent  years  might 
have  serious  consequences  both  for  those  engaged  in  the 
Normal  Schools  and  for  Brother  Irigoyen,  whose  new  appoint- 
ment is  as  pastor  in  Guayaquil  and  vicinity.  It  is  no  doubt 


COAST  IXDIA.VS  or  PKRr 


however,  our  duty  to  begin  direct  and  open  evangelistic  work 
in  Ecuador,  where  Methodists  as  Bible  colporteurs  have 
prepared  the  way  for  the  organization  of  congregations. 

The  long  coast  line  of  Peru  is  repellent.  Bare,  barren 
shores,  without  tree  or  plant  or  lilade  of  grass,  unblessed  by 
drop  of  rain,  stretch  interminably  along  the  thirteen  hundred 
miles  from  Ecuador  to  Chile,  and  rise  into  hills  and  mountains 
which  stand  as  grim,  silent  sentinels  of  inhospitality. 
Coast  and  But  lying  between  these  and  the  great  Andean  range 
Mountains  are  valleys  and  plants  which  burst  into  bloom  when 

of  Peru  the  cool  water  of  the  mountain  streams  is  spread 

over  them,  and  sugar  cane  and  even  rice  are  pro- 
duced in  large  quantities.  The  mountains  are  rich  in  mines 
of  silver  and  gold  and  copper,  and  American  engineering 
skill  has  built  a railroad  to  them,  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight 

15 


miles  from  Callao,  climhing  where  it  is  possible  to  climb, 
tunneling  where  the  grades  are  too  stee]-)  and  a circuit  could 
not  lie  made,  up  and  u]i  and  up,  through  seventy-eight  tun- 
nels, until  a height  of  sixteen  thousand  feet  is  attained — the 
highest  railroad  in  the  world. 


oricurAs  i.v  ck.meteuv 
With  cniidle  aiui  lioly  water 


Here  you  see  the  curious  llamas,  the  mountain  camels. 
They  are  beasts  of  burden  and  carry  sacks  of  ore  from  mine 
to  railroad.  They  are  patient  and  carry  without  complaint 
a hundred  pounds.  Beyond  that  their  strength  does  not 
enable  them  to  go  and  they  cannot  be  made  to  carry.  They 

!'•> 


are  driven  \vith,~sling  and  stone,  the  weapon  David  used 
against  Goliath.  In  the  inoimtains  also  are  the  Quichuas, 
descendants  of  the  Incas.  They  are  fanatical  Catho- 
Llamas,  lies,  but  are  l)y  no  means  inacce.ssil)le  to  the  gospel. 

Quichuas  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  our  missionaries  and  native  min- 

i.sters  may  be  happy  instruments  of  their  conversion. 

The  journey  from  Callao,  the  port,  to  Lima,  the  capital  of 
Peru,  may  be  made  either  by  electric  or  steam  power.  The 
electric  cars  are  large,  comfortable,  swift,  and  cheap,  and 
run  at  short  intervals  until  midnight.  For  a fare 
From  Coast  of  ten  cents  you  can  make  the  trip  in  half  an 

to  Capital  hour,  passing  through  a level  country,  marked  here 

and  there  witli  huge  mounds,  the  tomljs  of  ancient 
Incas.  Thougli  rain  never  falls  on  this  plain,  you  will  see  flour- 
ishing vineyards  and  fields  of  maize,  ke])t  green  by  irrigation. 

Here  was  laid,  in 
greed  and  blood, 
the  foundation  of 
an  empire  of 
Spanish  republics. 

Conquerors  H o w d i f- 
Pilgrim  ferent  the 
Fathers  scenes  at- 
tending the 
Pilgrims  as  they 
landed  at  Plymouth 
Rock  and  l^egan  the 
work  of  building  the 
mightiest  state  on 
the  American  con- 
tinent ! 

The  Pilgrims  were  religious;  so  were  the  Spanish  conciuerors. 
Lima  bears  witness  still  to  their  zeal  for  the  church.  The 
president  of  the  lower  House  of  Congress  sits  at  the  table, 
when  he  presides,  around  which  gathered  the  inquisitors  of  the 
Holy  Office  three  centuries  ago  to  try  and  condemn  heretics. 
The  bells  of  seventy-eight  churches  speak  daily  of  the  thought 
and  care  of  state  .and  people  for  the  outward  rites  and  cere- 


monies  and  symbols  of  religion.  Seventy-eight  churches  for 
one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  peojde,  and  many  of  the 
edifices  immense  in  extent,  and  most  of  them  in  good  con- 
dition. The  interior  of  the  archbishop’s  cathedral 
Zealous  but  has  mucli  to  delight  the  eye.  The  stalls  of  the 

Superstitious  choirand  tlie  chairs  of  the  Pope’s  delegate,  the 

archbishop,  and  his  coadjutors  are  of  magnificently 
carved  wood,  the  pillars  around  the  altar  are  covered  with  gold, 
and  the  vaulted  roofs  are  decorated  with  the  metal  which  in- 
spired the  heroic  deeds  of  the  Spanish  conquerors.  The  air  is 


THE  CWTHEDKAl,.  PEKC 


laden  with  incense,  and  convenient  benches  call  the  worshiper 
to  his  knees.  Surely  this  is  the  house  of  God,  the  very  gate  of 
heaven  to  awaiting  souls.  Alas!  There  is  that  whicli  pleases  the 
eye  and  delights  the  ear,  but  the  soul  is  not  touched  by  the  fire 
of  God.  .^11 1 lie  honors  of  worship  go  to  the  Virgin  Mary.  iMiss 
Elsie  Wood  tells  me  of  a church  in  Cuzco  which  liears  this  in- 
scription over  its  doors;  “ Come,  ye  heavy  laden,  unto  ^lary.” 

18 


What  is  being  done  in  Peru  to  disseminate  a living  and 
I'niitful  I'aitli  is  being  done  almost  solely  by  tlie  Methodist 
Episcopal  (''hurch.  The  Anglican  Cliurch  has  a chapel  in 
Callao  and  another  in  Lima.  The  former 
Peru’s  Protes-  is  practically  aljandoned,  and  we  hold  English 
tant  Field  ser\’ices  and  Sunday  school  in  it.  We  have 

congregations  in  Lima  and  Callao,  and  it  was 
my  good  fortune  to  see  the  three — two  Spanish  and  one  En- 
glish. We  have,  including  two  which  may  be  said  to  l)elong 


X.VTIVE  I'HHISTl.AX  F.iMII.V 


to  the  M'oman’s  Foreign  IMi.ssioi'.arv  Society,  six  .scliof)ls  in 
Callao,  the  newe.st  being  a kindergarten  taught  l)y  .Mrs. 
Foreman.  There  is  also  a school  in  Tarma.  a considerable 
town  northea.st  of  Lima.  The  American  Hilde  Society  has 
colporteurs  in  Peru  and  Ecuador,  and  they  pre]>are  the  way 
for  scliools  and  evangelists.  It  was  a ]1ri^■ilege  to  attend  a 
love  fea.st  in  Callao  ami  hear  glad  testimonials  of  men  and 
women  as  to  the  power  of  the  gospel  to  save  and  to  keep. 
There  was  some  hesitation  due  to  the  presence  of  a stranger, 
but  more  than  a dozen  spoke  or  offei'ed  prayer. 

Dr.  Wood,  a veteran  in  the  service  of  the  Missionary  Society 
of  thirty-five  years,  laid  tlie  foundations  of  our  work 
Dr. Wood’s  in  Peru  in  1891.  Since  then  he  and  liis  faithful  wife 

Work  have  toiled  with  heroic  endurance,  unfaltering  com- 


age,  and  a faith  that  nothing  conld  overcome,  and  two  of  tlieir 
daugliters  have  joyfully  taken  up  the  w'ork  which  has  so 
much  of  trial  and  discouragement. 

Bishop  Neely  held  the  first  session  of  North  Andes 
Mission  jMission  and  the  hrethren  of  the  Mission,  foreign  and 
Session  native,  separated  with  new  courage  and  a larger  hope. 

Evangelize,  organize,  develop  the  native  ministry,  were 
the  watclnvords  of  the  Conference. 


i(jri(,iri-:  cou-kck— (co-euuc.^tion'.vi,) 


CHILEAN  PORTS  AND  PEOPLE 

I'h’om  Callao  down  the  Pacific  coast  the  journey  is  leisurely. 
The  managers  of  the  steamship  seem  to  forget  that  they  have 
passengers  who  may  be  in  a hurry,  and  only  to  remember 
that  theie  is  freight  to  be  delivered  and  received  at  short 
intervals  on  the  rugged  and  barren  coast.  Always  the  land 

20 


presents  the  same  uninviting  aspc'ct  of  red,  barren  lulls  and 
mountains  and  treeless  valleys.  The  rains  of  heaven  fall  not 
at  all,  either  on  the  just  or  on  the  unjust,  and  our  last  glimj)ses 
of  Peru  and  the  first  of  Chile  are  of  a country  dead  indeed  to 
vegetation.  A great  business  in  nitrates,  or  saJilre, 
Chile’s  Rain-  as  the  natives  call  it,  has  developed,  and  makes 

less  Coast  Iquiciue  and  other  cities  in  the  raiidess  region 

what  they  are.  New  deposits  are  being  discovered 
elsewhere,  and  the  shipments  from  Iquique  are  less  than 
they  used  to  be  ; but  a trust  or  association  regulates  the  out- 
put everywhere,  and  keeps  prices  unil'orm  and  profitable. 


COOKIXG  CI..\SS,  AVKHK'.A.N  COI.I.EGK.  ((l.XCI-.l 'CION 


Chile  is  undoubtedly  the  longe.st  and  narrowest  republic 
in  the  world.  It  has  a coa.st  line  of  three  thousand  miles,  and 
its  greatest  width  scarcely  exceeds  two  hundred  miles.  Hot 
and  dusty  in  these  thousands  of  miles  of  thirsty 
Long,  Nar-  land?  Most  of  it.  Unendurable?  Xo.  C)n  the 

row  Republic  shady  side  of  the  street  or  under  a roof,  at  night, 

when  the  stars  are  blazing  as  they  never  blaze  in 
northern  skies,  it  is  cool — muy  fresco,  as  the  natives  say. 
Keep  out  of  the  sun  and  you  can  be  comfortable  day  or  night, 

21 


so  far  as  the  weather  is  concerned.  Dust  you  must  expect  and 
perhaps  Ret  used  to.  In  some  places  it  is  kept  down  a little 
l)y  street  sprinkling;  hut  it  is  always  ready  to  rise  when 
stirred  hy  the  feet  of  horses  or  cattle.  On  lioard  ship  the 


THE  .\LHA.MI!li.\,  S.\.\T].\(;() 
After  the  AlhanOira  in  Spam 


weather  is  delightful,  and  only  delightful.  Not  too  hot 
by  day,  it  is  cool  enough  for  wraps  at  night.  The  southern 
trade  wind  never  fails  to  blow  when  you  are  twenty-four  or 
thirty-six  hours  out  of  Panama,  going  south.  A cool  current 


flows  along  the  coast  northward  and  moderates  the  tropical 
climate  to  a wonderful  degree. 

Chile  is  ready  for  the  gospel — more  ready  fo  receive  than 
the  church  of  Christ  is  to  give.  That  fact  I have  seen  demon- 
strated. At  Antofagasta  and  Co(juimbo  I saw  congregations 
of  converts  from  out  the  whited  sepulcher  of  Ca- 
Welcomefor  tholicism.  At  Valparaiso  I saw  congregations  of 

Saving  Truth  three  hundred  to  four  liundrcd,  mostly  converts, 
on  two  successive 
week-day  evenings,  gathered 
to  listen  to  the  story,  ever 
old,  but  new  and  fresh  and 
delightful  to  them.  At  San- 
tiago I saw  on  Sunday  even- 
ing in  our  new  church,  a few 
blocks  from  Santiago  College, 
a crowded  house  of  artisans, 
laborers,  and  their  families. 

They  heard  from  Idishop 
Neely’s  lips  and  heart  the 
doctrine  of  the  world’s  re- 
demption by  the  sacrifice  of 
Jesus  Chri.st.  Every  sign  of 
favor  was  shown,  and  when 
the  invitation  was  given  to 
come  and  bow  at  the  altar 
and  have  their  sins  washed 
away  by  the  sprinkling  of  the 
atonement,  scores  came  with- 
out delay.  They  knelt  at  the  altar,  as  many  as  could  reach 
it,  and  in  the  sjrace  in  front,  and  at  benches  on  either  sitle,  and 
prayed  most  earnestly  for  themselves,  while  Dr.  Hoover  and 
Brothers  Arms  and  Vanegas  prayed  in  succession  for  them. 
Members  of  the  church  knelt  with  the  seekers  and  tried  to 
show  them  the  way  to  Christ.  At  Concepcion  a week  later 
the  same  scene  gladdened  our  hearts.  The  liishop’s  strong 
and  searching  sermon  was  blessed  by  the  Holy  Cho.st,  and 
many  came  forward  and  earnestly  cried  unto  God  for  mercy, 

23 


and  obtained  it.  I saw  full  houses  on  week  nights  in  Te- 
inuco  and  in  Victoria,  come  together  not  only  to  hear  and 
welcome  bishop  and  secretary,  but  to  show  their  interest  in 
evangelical  religion. 

These  people  have  the  same  experiences,  the  same  tempta- 
tions, the  same  victories,  and  the  same  aspirations  as  the 
devout  in  the  United  States.  They  get  tired  of  the  useless, 
wicked  lives  they  lead,  and  are  hungry  for  the  true 
Spiritual  lircad  of  the  gospel.  ( )ne  of  those  who  knelt  at  the 
Needs  like  chancel  rail  in  Santiago  was  asked  why  he  had  come. 

Ours  “(  ),  I have  come,”  he  said,  “ because  I am  tired  of  lie- 

ing  a useless  drunken  fellow.”  Another’s  tears  of 
penitence  rained  upon  God’s  altar.  Both  te.stified  with 
joy  that  their  supplications  had  been  answered.  For 
bread  the  priests  have  been  git'ing  them  stones,  for  fishes 
serpents. 

What  kind  of  C'hristians  do  these  converts  make?  In  the 
main,  they  persevere.  Few  ever  return  to  the  old  life  or  the 
old  church.  Most  of  them  have  much  to  learn,  and  they 
don’t  learn  it  all  at  once.  But  the  process  of  education 
Genuine  goes  on  steadily  and  encouragingly.  If  couples  have 

Converts  been  living  together  out  of  wedlock,  they  seek  honest 

marriage  the  first  thing.  They  give  up  liquor  and 
gambling  and  profanity,  and  with  liquor  they  generally  give 
up  tobacco  also.  They  are  more  diligent  in  business,  and 
more  provident  of  their  earnings.  Their  efforts  to  l^e  clean, 
physically  and  morally,  to  hat'e  decent  homes,  to  be  indus- 
trious and  honest  in  their  business,  to  learn  their  duties  as 
parents  and  citizens,  always  tell  in  their  favor.  They  be- 
come more  prosperous,  get  more  work  and  more  remunera- 
tive work,  and  their  employers  are  delighted  with  their 
trustworthiness.  These  evangelical  Christians  are,  therefore, 
constantly  rising  in  the  scale  of  civilization.  Pure  religion 
lifts  them  out  of  the  degraded  life  into  which  the  Roman 
system  had  caused  or  at  least  permitted  them  to  fall.  Prot- 
estant natives  can  thus  get  positions  more  readily,  particu- 
larly responsible  positions,  than  Catholic  natives.  A 
non-Protestant  employer  in  Concepcion  says  Protestants 

•24 


are  trustworthy;  lie  was  never  deceived  in  any  of  his  Prot- 
estant employees  hut  once. 

What  wonderful  men  have  lieen  called  to  leadership  in  our 
South  America  fields!  John  Dempster,  William  Goodfellow, 
Henry  (1.  Jackson,  Thomas  B.  ^^'ood,  Charles  W.  Drees,  John 
F.  Thomson,  Ira  H.  La  Fetra,  all  of  whom  save  the 
Missionary  first  two  are  still  on  this  side  of  the  dark  stream — 
Leaders  men  of  consecration  and  devotion  and  intellectual 

power.  The  name  of  that  evangelistic  and  mi.ssion- 
ary  apostle,  William  Taylor,  must  ever  he  associated  with 
tlie  heg'innings  of  our  missions  on  the  West  Coast  of  South 


I. 


America,  and  it  was  he  who  called  to  the  work  inaugurated 
hy  him,  hoth  educational  and  evangeli.stic,  the  man  who  was 
more  completely  to  organize  it,  to  shape  its  policies,  direct 
its  energies,  and  carry  its  burdens.  That  man  was  Ira  H. 
La  Fetra,  whose  mind  and  heart  and  soul  are  wrought  into 
our  colleges  and  churches  as  those  of  no  other  man.  He  and 


his  wife  luive  laid  wide  and  enduring  foundations  for  the  fu- 
ture of  vital  Christianity  in  all  the  southern  portion  of  the 
West  Coast. 

Methodism  has  a grand  field  in  Chile,  particularly  in  south- 
ern Chile.  We  could  make  wonderful  advances  if  we  had 
fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  dollars  more  annually,  all  to  lie 
devoted  to  evangeli.stic  work.  Our  schools  are  doing 
Calls  to  well ; they  ha\’e  prepared  the  way  for  the  churches  ami  a 
Advance  .strong  native  mini.stry.  The  four  college.s — oneforf)oys 
and  girls  in  Icpuque,  one  for  girls  in  Santiago,  and  one 
for  hoys  and  one  for  girls  in 
Concepcion  — are  widely  known 
and  have  had  an  immeastiral)le 
influence  in  softeinngthe  prt'j- 
udices  of  cvcit  the  most  de- 
voted Catholics.  .\11  exceiit 
one  of  the  colleges  were  self- 
supporting  in  1904,  jiaying  all 
expenses  except  transit  of 
teachers,  with  a handsome  sur- 
plus to  spare.  The  college 
properties,  well  situated  and 
entirely  free  from  del)t,  excei)t 
the  mortgage  on  the  vSantiago 
College  for  the  Ijeneht  of  the 
{)ress,  are  in  good  condition. 

A strengtheiung  of  tlie  teach- 
ing corps,  and  additional  facilities  for  growth  in  the  two  Con- 
cepcion colleges,  better  church  l)uildings,  and  an  increase  in 
the  force  of  missionaries  of  two  or  three  energetic  evangelistic 
workers  for  special  work  in  Santiago,  Valparaiso,  and  Con- 
cepcion are  the  mo.st  pressing  immediate  needs. 

THE  CONTEST  OF  FALSE  AND  TRUE 
STANDARDS 

Irreverence  for  sacred  things  is  a marked  characteristic 
of  the  people  of  this  country,  even  of  those  whose  devotion  is 
unejuestioned.  Sacred  names  and  terms  are  used  in  a way 


.\J.\KI.\li  .MKTIIOIIIST  ITl.l'ITS 
IN  CHILE 


tliat  seems  hlasplie- 
mous  t-o  a visitor  I'rom 
tlic  North.  Supensti- 
tioiis  regard 
Irreverence  for  tlie  cross 
and  makes  it  a 

Superstition  common  ob- 
ject. On  every 
liill  or  mountain  toj) 
overlooking  a village, 
town , or  city  t he  sacred 
emhlem  appears,  that 
all  “may  he  under  the 
cro.ss.” 

.\s  to  morals,  one 
cannot  truly  describe 
the  condition  of  the 
masses  witli- 
Low  Morality  out  seennng 
and  to  deal  in 

the  Lottery  wholesalede- 
traction. 
They  are  frightfully 
low,  and  the  priests 
di.sgrace  their  holy  call- 
ing byscandalous  lives, 
and  are  patterns  of 
vice  more  often  than 
examples  of  purity. 
The  lottery  every- 
where flouri.shes,  and 
is  used  by  the  church 
itself,  as  witness  ad- 
vertisements to  raise 
funds  for  pious  pur- 
poses. 

The  forms  of  the 
church  are  observed. 


28 


mass  is  celebrated,  prayers  are  said,  rites  performed,  particu- 
larly those  of  baptism  and  absolution,  the  confessional  is 
maintained,  and  religion  is  duly  honored  by  the  state;  the 
church  pervades  tlie  state  and  the  state  pervades 
Form  without  the  cliurcli,  and  the  republics  are  nominally  Chris- 
Substance  tian;  luit  t hough  the  peoide  may  honor  God  with 

their  lips  their  hearts  are  far  from  him,  and  their 
lives  tlo  not  correspond  with  their  profession.  I am  referring 
how  to  the  church  as  a whole.  I would  not  say  there  are  not 


F.Wn.TIES  (IK  THE  TWO  .MET  1 1 OH  1ST  ( 'o  I.EEO  ES.  ( '(I  N( ' E l>(  TO.M 

exceptions,  perhaps  many,  where  the  heart  ami  life  are  en- 
gaged; but  that  the  rule  is  as  above  stated  one  who  sees, 
hears,  and  observes  cannot  long  deny.  Many  lives  seem  not 
to  be  touched  by  the  church  at  all,  except  at  two  points: 
the  beginning  and  the  end.  Every  infant  must  be  baptized. 
At  death,  also,  the  aid  of  the  church  is  reque.sted.  A man 
may  have  led  an  evil  life,  been  a scoffer,  and  neglected  all 
his  religious  duties:  but  when  he  comes  to  his  last  hour,  the 

i9 


priest  is  called  in  to  hear  his  confession  and  to  give  him  abs('- 
lution.  Tluis  a life  may  compass  all  that  is  evil,  and  the 
record  be  wiped  out  by  the  final  act  of  a priest.  As  the 
church  does  not  excommunicate  except  for  denial  of  the 
faitli  or  of  its  own  autliority,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  men  may 
feel  free  and  even  encouraged  to  follow  the  bent  of  their 
evil  natures. 


TO.Mli  UF  BE]iX.\KIlU  (j'HiGOIXS,  S-\XTI.\GO 
A Liberator  of  (.'bile 


The  Scriptures  would  show  men  the  folly  and  danger  of 
sucli  a course,  Init  the  church  is  not  a friend  to  tlie  free  use  of 
the  Scriptures.  Comparatively  few  of  the  priests,  it  is  said, 
own  a Ihble.  They  know  their  mi.ssal  and  by  it 
Bible  Kept  from  know  something  of  the  Word  of  God,  but  are  ig- 
the  People  norant  of  much  scriptural  history  and  teaching. 

They  do  not  wish  members  of  their  flock  to 
have  the  good  Book  or  read  it,  and  for  instances  where 
it  has  been  di.scovered  in  Catholic  homes,  confiscated,  and 
publicly  burned  one  need  not  go  far  into  the  past.  Colpor- 

30 


teurs  of  tlio  American  Bilile  Society  are  persecuted  at  the 
instance  of  the  priests,  and  in  some  cases  driveai  out  of  cities 
and  towns  I:)y  the  public  authorities.  Everybody  remembers 
how  Penzotti  was  imprisoned  in  Callao  eight  months  for  the 
crime  of  selling  Bil.)les.  The  prison  where  he  suffered  was 
pointed  out  to  me  at  the  foot  of  the  Calle  Colon.  Christian 
countries  are  these,  or  so  they  are  called,  and  the  church 
which  donnnates  them  calls  itself  Chri.stian,  and  yet  the 
Christian  Bible  is  treated  as  something  dangerous  to  the 
Christian  faith  and,  therefore,  to  be  deined  l.o  the  faithful! 


KIIOXTIEK  CH.M'EL  XE.M{  VICT(lin.\ 


Desjute  the  priests  the  Scriptures  find  their  way  through 
faithful  coljiorteurs  into  many  Catholic  families,  and  are  read, 
too,  with  much  intere.st  and  rarely,  it  is  believed,  without 
some  profit.  Sometimes  the  purchaser  (they  are 
Colporteurs  and  never  given  away)  reports  to  the  priest,  and  is 

the  Scriptures  ordered  to  give  up  the  l:)Ook  as  an  improper 

one.  Generally  the  latter  is  not  informed. 
Whenever  the  book  is  sold  it  is  accompaided  with  a testi- 
mony as  to  its  value  in  making  men  and  women  better  Chris- 
tians. Not  a few  have  been  led  to  a better  life  by  it,  and, 
forsaking  the  Roman  Church,  die  without  the  presence  of  a 

31 


priest,  believing  in  salvation  by  Christ  only.  Of  this  fact 
we  may  be  fully  convinced:  there  are  no  countries  needing 
the  pure  gospel  more  sorely  than  these,  and  Protestantism, 
with  its  free  Bible,  must  furnish  it,  or  it  will  not  be  had  at  all. 


.MOUNT  .VC()XC.\(:U  A,  AM>E.S  li.^NOE 
Higliest  summit  feet)  in  the  western  hemisphere 


CONDITIONS  IN  THE  PLATA  COUNTRIES 

The  journey  across  the  .Vndes  from  Santiago  had  little  in 
it  of  peril  or  hardshij),  and  the  disagreeable  features,  if  such 
there  were,  can  with  difficulty  be  recalled,  they  were  so  com- 
pletely swallowed  up  liy  the  continuous  delights  of  the 
Over  the  ever-changing  scenery,  always  lieautiful,  often  wonder- 
Andes  ful,  and  at  times  truly  majestic.  Leaving  Santiago  on 
Friday  moi'ning,  we  were  in  Mendoza,  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  Andes,  Saturday  evening,  a little  after  seven  o'clock, 
having  made  the  entire  journey  l\v  rail,  excepting  about 

32 


twenty-nine  miles,  including  the  climli  over  the  pass,  some 
thirteen  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  which  was 
accomplished  in  a coach.  Tunnels  are  being  bored  through 
the  mountains,  and  in  a year  or  two  the  rail  route  will  be 
complete,  and  express  trains  are  expected  to  make  the  dis- 
tance between  ^'alparaiso,  on  the  Pacific,  ami  Buenos  Ayres, 
on  the  Atlantic — some  nine  hundred  miles  or  more — in  forty- 
four  hours,  so  that  the  bishop  at  Buenos  Ayres  will  l)e  able  to 
reach  any  of  our  churches  in  South  Chile,  except  at  Punta 
-Arenas,  in  less  tlian  three  days. 


wirii  s.\i)iii.Kii.\(:s  IX  ak<ik.\'ii.\.\ 


When  you  descend  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Andes  you 
descend  to  the  broad  pampas,  or  pi'airies,  wliich  stretch 
from  Alendoza,  at  the  foot  of  the  great  continental  range,  to 
Buenos  Ayres,  on  the  Bio  Plata.  It  is  not  an  inspiring 
Pampas  of  landscape  for  the  jaded  traveler  who  has  ju.st  come 
Argentina  down  from  the  glories  of  the  mountain  tops,  and  if  it 
is  hot  and  dry  he  will  be  sensible  of  little  else  than 
the  heat  and  dust.  It  is  a journey  of  twenty-four  hours  on 
trains  as  well  appointed  as  those  we  are  accustomed  to  in  the 


United  States.  The  eye  soon  wearies  of  the  vast  unending 
stretches  of  level  gra.ss  land,  with  here  and  there  a clump  of 
trees,  partly  hiding  the  home  of  the  owner  of  an  entnncia,  or 
ranch.  Tins  graceful  fasliion  gives  the  landscape  its  most 
pleasing  feature.  Droves  of  fine,  large  cattle,  sleek  horses, 
and  prosperous  sheep  roam  over  these  unfenced  pa.stures,  and 
are  greater  sources  of  [trofit  even  than  the  wondei'ful  crops 
of  wheat  which  are  raised.  Argentina,  the  .statistician  tells 
us,  is  fifth  in  importance  of  the  wheat-exporting  countries. 
On  these  farms  much  machinery  is  used,  such  as  mowers. 


TKACHEIiS  .AND  STCIIEXTS,  THEOLOGIC.M.  SCHOOL,  MERCEOES,  ItllU 
1.  Dr.  Samuel  W.  Siberts;  2.  Dr.  Clmiies'W.  Drees 


reapers,  and  threshers,  and  tliis  machinery  is  nearly  all 
American,  as  it  is  found  to  be  cheapest  and  best. 

The  train  stops  frequently,  but  there  are  no  large  towns 
until  you  come  to  Mercedes,  fifty  or  sixty  miles  from 
Suburban  Buenos  Ayres.  As  you  approach  the  great  city  3’ou 

Beauty  miss  the  beautiful  bunches  of  pampas  grass,  with 

their  yellow  and  white  plumes  bowing  low  in  gra- 
cious acknowledgment  to  the  passing  train,  but  you  see  evi- 
dences of  a higher  cultivation,  and  that  the  American  fa.shion 

34 


HOOl,,  HUMNOS  A \ Hi;?- 


olitains  of  beautiful  suf)url)an  homes,  witli  smooth  mown 
lawns,  stately  trees,  and  blooming  shrubberies.  Wealth  is 
rapidly  accumulating  in  Argentina,  and  Buenos  Ayres  is  the 
center  of  it. 

The  greate.st  city  of  the  southern  continent,  indeed  of  the 
southern  hemisphere,  lies  in  a fiend  of  the  river  as  a child 
lies  in  the  bend  of  its  mother’s  arms.  It  has,  therefore,  a 
most  remarkable  .stretch  of  river  front.  It  is  fan-shaped, 
Buenos  and  has  a line  opporttuuty  to  spread  out  toward  the  north 

Ayres  and  east.  It  is  not  an  old  tyjucal  Spanish  town,  with 

narrow  streets  ami  adobe  houses  of  a uniform  a])]H'arante. 
It  is  a foreign  city,  totalh'  unlike  the  old  iSpanish  town  of 
C’ordoba,  where  foreign  fashions  have  not  yet  intruded.  It  is 
laid  out  with  taste  and  skill  ami  with  an  eye  to  beauty  and 
comfort.  It  has,  of  course,  the  Spanish  plaza — that  is  a part 
of  its  inheritance;  but  it  has  beautiful  parks  and  Irroad, 
shady  avenues — these  are  a part  of  its  acquirements.  Sar- 
miento  was  President  of  the  republic  some  years  ago.  He  had 
representerl  his  country  at  \\'asliington  for  some  years,  and 
while  still  .Mini.ster  was  elected  President.  He  had  been 
intimate  with  and  greatly  admired  Horace  i\Iann,  and  he 
tried  to  introduce  some  of  his  ideas  into  the  public  schools  of 
Buenos  Ayres. 

Buenos  .\vres  has  about  a million  souls,  and  it  is  growing 
I'apidly.  It  is  ;dl  bustle  ami  energy  and  enterprise.  The 
young  American  from  New  York,  Chicago,  or  Denver  feels 
at  home  there.  He  never  complains  that  it  is  slow. 
Growth  and  He  likes  the  present  and  views  the  future  with  en- 

Enterprise  thusiasm.  He  will  tell  you  of  the  big  buildings, 

including  the  finest  press  building  in  the  world,  the 
large  banks,  the  fine  stores,  and  the  high-class  hotels  and 
restaurants  as  though  he  were  glorying  in  the  greatness  of 
an  American  city.  Counting  heads,  Argentinas  are  in  the 
majority,  Init  measuring  influence — in  creating,  planning, 
pushing,  and  bringing  to  pa.ss — they  fall  far  short.  Foreigners 
are  the  bankers,  the  importers  and  e.xporters,  the  manu- 
facturers, the  managers  of  railroads  and  steamships  and  tram- 
ways, the  heads  of  notable  enterprises,  the  educators,  the 

30 


farmers,  the  jihysicians,  tlie  arcliitects,  the  hiiilders,  those  to 
whom  great  trusts  and  responsihilities  are  confided. 

Growing  out  of  the  old  Spanish-American  spirit,  Buenos 
Ayres  is  growing  into  tlie  modern  progressive  spirit  of  Eng- 
land, Germany,  and  the  United  States.  It  has 
Demands  a broken  with  the  old  ideas  of  municipal,  mercantile, 
New  Reli-  and  imlustrial  life  and  formed  a new  model  for  old, 

gious  Basis  staid,  and  conservative  South  America.  In  religion 

and  in  morals,  however,  it  is  media?val.  The  Church 
of  Rome  is  one  and  the  same  there  as  elsewhere, with  a stand- 
ard too  low  morally  for  commercial,  financial,  and  industri;d 
interests. 


OK.ANOES.  VII.I.E'IA,  V 

The  people  of  the  Plata  countries  are  dill’ereni  from  tliose 
of  the  We.st  Coa.st.  You  notice  a difference  in  the  garl)  of 
the  women.  In  Santiago,  the  most  modern  in  spirit  of  the 
Pacific  coa.st  cities,  native  women  almo.st  invariably 
Sections  wear  the  mnnto,  the  black  heatlgear  so  characteristic 
Compared  of  the  Latin  .\merican,  on  the  street,  and  especially 
in  the  churches.  In  Buenos  Ayres  and  in  Montevideo 
you  will  hardly  see  one,  except  on  the  servant  class. 

The  people  of  the  two  coasts  in  one  other  thing  arc  not 
unlike:  they  liave  deep-seated  religious  prejudices.  Personal 
contact  of  missionary,  preacher,  and  layman  counts  for  much 
in  countries  like  South  .\merica  in  preparing  hearts,  sealed 
by  prejudice,  for  the  reception  of  the  gospel;  and  per- 

37 


soiial  acniiaintanco  also  does  much  for  the  evangelist  in 
showing  him  tender  hearts  and  good  impulses  and  even 
living  consciences  under  exteriors  which  give  no  hint  of  them 
to  strangers.  Taking  them  in  the  mass,  the  ob- 
Personal  server  would  be  likely  to  conclude  that  these 

Contact  and  people,  so  badly  schooled  in  religion,  have  no  con- 

Conscience  science.  If  this  were  so,  how  would  you  explain 

a case  like  this?  A Frenchman,  a maker  of  wine,  be- 
came interested  in  our  services  and  sought  to  pray  for  salva- 
tion. He  said  every  time  he  kneeled  down  for  this  purpose  he 
was  somehow  so  hindered  that  his  efforts  were  abortive.  He 
could  not  formulate  his  petitions.  Soinetliing  kept  saying  to 
him,  “What  alrout  your  wine;  what  about  your  wine?”  This 
([iiestion  was  always  dominant.  It  persisted  so  that  he  could 
not  pray.  He  could  not  understand  it.  “ My  wiye  is  all  right,” 
he  would  reply.  “ It  is  good,  pure  wine;  there  is  nothing  the 
matter  with  it.”  But  he  could  not  pray  and  he  could  not  get 
away  from  the  (jiiestion,  “ What  about  your  wine?”  Finally, 
in  desperation  he  seized  an  ax  and  knocking  in  the  heads  of  his 
casks  let  the  wine  run  away.  The  moment  he  had  done  so  his 
tongue  was  loosen erl  and  he  fell  on  his  knees  in  the  vault, 
and  instantly  his  prayer  was  heard  and  he  was  happily  con- 
verted. He  had  never  doubted  that  it  was  entirely  proper  to 
make,  sell,  and  drink  wine.  How  did  he  come  by  so  tender 
a conscience? 

Our  missions  are  well  and  widely  planted  in  Argentina, 
Uruguay,  and  Paraguay,  and  are  conducted  in  four  languages 
— Sijanish,  English,  German,  and  Italian.  In  Buenos  Ayres 
the  ma.sses  are  still  Catholic  by  preference,  the 
Mission  Work  small  minority  Protestant.  The  Church  of  Eng- 
on  East  Coast  land,  the  Scottish  Presbyterian,  the  Baptists,  and 
our  own  church  form  the  bulk  of  the  Protestant 
element.  Our  First  Church,  commonly  called  the  American 
Church,  has  a fine  property,  valued  at  §125,000  (gold),  in  the 
heart  of  the  business  section,  and  a splendid  congregation. 
Among  its  members  are  both  Americans  and  Englishmen, 
and  it  is  a power  for  good.  It  is  loyal  to  the  Missionary 
Society  and  to  the  cause  of  missions,  remembering  gratefully 

3S 


FIRST  METHODIST  El'ISCO  I' A L CHURCH,  HUENOS  AYRES 


those  early  days  when  tlie  Missionary  Society  sent  John 
Dempster,  AMlliain  (loodfellow,  and  generous  funds  to  assist  it. 

The  Second  Church,  occupying  a fine  commodious  building 
on  our  Junin  property,  is  a strong  and  prosperous  l:)ody  of 
Spanish-speaking  people,  and  has  on  occasion  the  largest 
Protestant  congregation  in  the  city.  ( )ur  other  four 
Circle  of  churches  are  well  di.stributed  and  are  doing  good  work. 
Churches  Two  of  them  occupy  rented  halls.  These  should  have 
property  of  their  own,  and  one  other  should  have  a 
better  property.  Tlie  Ifoca  Mission,  with  its  excellent  day 
school  and  Sjianish  and  Enghsli  congregations,  is  a popular 


M(  H<)l.-\s  I.dWi;  INSTi  rn  ION,  M latI  KDKS 


forward  mo^•enlent  in  a crowded  section  where  it  is  ac- 
complishing great  gooel. 

llosario,  the  second  largest  city  in  Argentina,  over  two 
hundred  miles  from  Buenos  Ayres,  Avhere  we  have  two  con- 
gregations, English  and  .Sjeanish,  and  two  projierties;  IMen- 
doza,  in  the  far  west  of  the  republic,  wliere  our 
Other  Argen-  jiastor  jireaches  in  English,  S]tanish,  and  German; 
tinian  Cities  ^Mercedes,  the  seat  of  the  Nicholas  Lowe  Institution ; 

and  l.a  Plata,  close  to  Buenos  .-Vyres,  and  Cerdoba, 
in  tlie  north,  and  Bahia  Blanca,  in  the  south,  are  the  chief  or 
strategic  points  of  our  INIission. 

The  heart  of  Argentina  is  Buenos  Ayres.  There  we  should 

40 


plant  IMethodism  more  widely  and  strongly.  Fifteen  or 
twenty  congregations  at  the  very  least  should  be  our  im- 
mediate aim,  if  we  mean  to  take  the  city,  this  great,  growing, 
prosperous,  cosmopolitan  city;  and  if  we  do  not 
Aim  for  Stra-  mean  to  take  it  wliy  are  we  there,  with  better 
tegic  Center,  opportunities  than  any  other  denomination  ? 
Montevideo  Bisliop  Xeely  has  planned  the  removal  of  the 
theological  school  from  Mercedes  to  Buenos  Ayres, 
and  for  some  provision  for  a moderate  course  of  theological 
training  at  points  on  the  West  Coast. 

What  Buenos  Ayres  is  to  Argentina,  IVIontevideo  is  to 
Uruguay — the  heart  and  soul.  It  is  a beautiful  city  of 
21.5,000  population,  built  partly  on  sea  and  partly  on  river. 
Uruguayans  are  a restless  people  politically,  not  content  to 


University  building  in  the  foreground 

allow  many  administrations  to  serve  out  their  term  of 
office.  In  the  la.st  seventy  years  they  have  started  forty- 
three  revolutions,  losing,  as  will  be  observed,  some  op- 
portunities. Like  Argentina,  this  Oriental  Republic,  as  it 
calls  itself,  has  learned  the  lesson  of  tolerance,  and  the  laws 
give  protection  even  to  Protestant  churches  and  worshipers. 

In  the  capita]  we  have  English  and  Spanish  congrega* 
Central  tions.  Our  old  property,  now  surrounded  by  dens  of 

Church  vice,  might  have  served  the  purpose  of  both  bodies  of 

worshipers  for  years  to  come  but  for  the  bad  character- of 
the  neighborhood.  The  new  location  is  admirable,  on  the 
top  of  a hill,  overshadowing  a large  Jesuit  church  and  mon- 
astery and  being  as  near  the  proposed  new  Congressional 

41 


building  as  the  Idbrarv  building  is  in  Washington  to  the 
Capitol.  The  Spanish  brethren  wanted  an  impressive  build- 
ing, and  they  have  it.  The  great  brick  .structure  towers  high 
above  surrounding  objects.  It  is  a nolde  building,  and  puts 
Methodism,  as  it  were,  on  a public  pinnacle  in  Montevideo. 
Those  who  would  see  the  notable  buildings  of  the  city  must 
not  neglect  the  Central  Methodi.st  Episcopal  Church. 

The  Conference  met  in  the  basement,  the  American  seats 
and  the  electric  lights  having  been  put  in  the  night  before,  and 
Wednesday  evening  the  opening  was  celebrated,  an  enthusias- 
tic, cheering  audience  of  at  least  800  being  present. 
Basement  After  speeches  by  Bishop  Neely  and  Dr.  J.  F.  Thomson, 

Opened  a collection  was  taken  to  meet  Bishop  McCabe’s 

generous  proposition  to  provide  the  last  -52,000  of  the 
debt,  and  1650  was  contributed. 

Our  educational  work  in  South  America  Conference  is  un- 
que.stionably  helpful  in  breaking  down  the  prejudice  of  Cath- 
olic parents  and  in  training  boys  and  girls  for  high  usefulness. 

The  moral  and  spiritual  education  imparted  is  of 
Educational  inestimable  value,  whether  the  graduate  continues 
Work  in  connection  with  the  Church  of  Rome  or  becomes 

a member  of  our  church.  The  policy  of  Catholicism, 
which  is  in  some  things  very  wise,  is  to  get  control  and  keep 
control  of  the  children.  Boys  and  girls  who  pass  through 
our  schools  invariably  become  better  Christians  even  if  not 
better  Catholics,  as  the  priest  understands  the  term.  Our 
day  schools  in  Buenos  Ayres,  Bahia  Blanca,  and  other  centers, 
our  Nicholas  Lowe  Institution  in  Mercedes,  the  women’s  schools 
in  Buenos  Ayres  under  Miss  Le  Huray,  and  in  Rosario  under 
Miss  Swaney,  and  our  North  American  Academy  in  Monte- 
video under  Miss  Long,  and  the  girls’  school  in  the  same  city 
under  Miss  Hewitt,  are  wellsprings  of  wholesome  influence  in 
a thirsty  land.  They  have  my  most  hearty  indorsement. 
The  e.xtension  of  their  beneficent  work  is  the  extension  of  the 
gospel.  The  gospel  is  taught  in  these  institutions,  and  it  is 
lived,  and  the  Bible  is  read  and  explained,  and  scholars  come 
to  respect  it  as  the  Word  of  God. 

Our  North  American  Academy  for  boys  has  had  a wonder- 

42 


CENTRAL  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHPIICH,  MOXTKVIDEC 


ful  success.  When  Miss  Long  took  it  up  in  1900  it  was 
scarcely  more  than  a name.  She  began  with  nine  boys  and 
nothing  of  much  value  in  the  way  of  furniture  and 
Academy  books.  Rent  was  paid  from  the  appropriation.  All 
for  Boys  the  rest  this  remarkable  woman  has  got  somehow  from 
the  school  itself.  In  190.3-04  she  had  eighty-six  pupils; 
in  1904-0.5  she  opened  with  one  hundred.  The  academy  now 
occupies  three  adjoining  buildings,  for  which  11,320  (gold) 
is  paid  in  rent.  Another  year  she  would  need  another  building. 
Meantime  a splendid  property  well  situated  and  in  every  way 
suited  to  the  scliool’s  needs  has  been  offered,  and  she  has 
taken  tlie  responsibility  of  securing  it.  It  cost  originally 
S40,000  (gold).  She  gets  it  for  $12,000,  and  so  good  a bargain 
is  it  regarded  that  a bank  offered  to  loan  her  the  full  pur- 
chase price  and  as  much  more  as  might  be  necessary  to  adapt 
it  to  the  use  of  the  academy.  Miss  Long  spent  some  time  in 
the  LTnited  States  on  furlough,  during  the  earlier  part  of  1905, 
and  raised  a part  of  the  amount  needed  to  secure  this  most 
desirable  property,  and  she  should  be  relieved  of  the  burden  of 
carrying  anj"  of  it  at  the  high  rate  of  interest  that  obtains 
in  South  America.  It  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  the  power 
of  fruitful  influence  which  promises  to  go  forth  from  this 
school,  and  gifts  for  its  buildings  will  mean  much  for  the 
future  of  a whole  nation. 

Whatever  Catholics  may  think  of  our  church  in  Uruguay, 
they  have  a high  admiration  for  this  school  and  Miss  Hewitt’s 
school,  not  simply  because  of  the  mental  training  they  give 
the  boys  and  girls,  but  because  of  the  moral  influence 
Winning  they  exert.  Catholic  parents  recently  came  to  see  Miss 

Approval  Long  about  sending  their  boy.  They  said,  “Is  this  a 

Protestant  school?”  She  answered,  “ Yes.”  “Well,  we 
can’t  have  our  boy  taught  heresies.”  Miss  Long  explained 
that  the  teachin  was  based  entirely  on  the  Scriptures.  The 
great  aim  was  to  induce  the  boys  to  avoid  sins  of  lying, 
swearing,  and  the  vices  and  to  teach  them  to  live  clean,  moral 
lives.  She  added,  “ Consult  parents  who  have  had  boys  here 
a year  or  two,  and  see  what  they  have  to  say.”  They  did  so, 
and  a day  or  two  later  came  bringing  their  boy.  An  Italian 

44 


physician  living  outside  of  Montevideo  came  with  his  wife  and 
boy.  He  said:  ‘‘I  don’t  want  my  boy  to  go  to  the  Catholic 
Church  and  I don’t  want  him  trained  in  that  faith.  i\Iy  wife 
is  a Catholic,  Imt  I am  not.  I am  not  anything;  but  I would 
like  my  f)oy  to  go  to  the  Protestant  Church.  When  I lived  here 
years  ago  there  was  a Protestant  minister  named  Wood.  I 
want  my  lioy  to  go  to  the  church  in  which  he  preached.” 
Mi.ss  Long  informed  liim  that  the  C'entral  Methodist  Church,  in 
which  Dr.  M’ood  preached,  was  the  church  which  thebo5'sof  the 
sclmol  attended,  and  the  father  and  mother  went  away  content. 

Miss  Long  has  a temperance  organization  among  the  boys, 
with  pledges  of  abstinence  from  all  intoxicants,  including 
wine  and  cider,  for  one  month,  for  six  months,  for  a year,  and 
for  life;  also  a pledge  to  abstain  from  tobacco. 
Temperance  Many  hoys  take  the  pledge  for  a short  period,  then 

Training  renew  it  and  graduate  into  the  ranks  of  the  total 

abstainers  for  life.  IMany  of  the  larger  boys  are  in 
this  class.  At  the  monthly  meeting  of  the  temperance 
organization  the  question  is  asked,  “Who  has  violated  his 
pledge?”  and  the  boy  who  has  done  so  is  expected  to  rise. 
( )ne  boy  rose  at  the  meeting  which  I attended.  Miss  Long 
afterward  told  me  the  hi, story  of  the  case.  The  l^oy  came  to 
her  that  morning  crying,  and  said  to  Miss  Long,  “ I have 
broken  my  pledge.”  Asked  how  he  came  to  do  so,  he  said: 
“Last  night  we  were  invited  out  to  dinner.  They  had  straw- 
berries. I am  very  fond  of  strawberries,  and  ate  two  before 
I discovered  that  they  had  wine  on  them.  I am  very  sorry, 
Mi.ss  Long.  I didn’t  eat  any  more.  I wouldn’s  have  eaten  any 
if  I had  known  there  was  wine  on  them.” 

The  little  fellows  are  being  trained  to  be  clean  and  manly. 
Is  there  any  better  busness  than 

“the  savin’  of  a little  child 
And  bringin’  him  to  his  own”? 

A PARTING  GLIMPSE  AT  BRAZIL 

Our  work  in  southern  Brazil  was  turned  over  to  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  South,  a few  years  ago,  and  we  have 
only  one  Portuguese  mission,  that  at  Para,  on  the  Amazon, 

40 


NORTH  AMKUK’AN  A('AI>K>!V.  .MONTEVIDEO 
Miss  Stolhi  C.  Lolita,  M.l).,  Princiiml,  in  ceiitn- 


where  brave  Brother  Justus  H.  Nelson  labors  faithfully  on, 
refusing  to  abandon  his  j^ost.  Four  days  were  spent  in  Rio 
Janeiro,  the  capital  of  the  inunense  republic  which 
Brazil  and  embraces  so  much  of  the  area  of  the  southern 

its  Capital  continent.  If  there  is  a more  beautiful  harbor  than 

that  of  Rio  Janeiro  I have  not  seen  it.  Built  on 
almost  as  many  hills  as  Rome,  the  city  itself  lies  in  the  embrace 


MdXr.MKNT  or  GKXEll.VL  (illt.tAO.  I'A1,.\CE  SOU.\UE.  I>  A K A , BRAZIL 


of  mountains  made  glorious  liy  rich  tropical  verdure.  Its  long 
arcades  of  majestic  royal  palms  are  worth  a journey  of  thou- 
sands of  miles  to  see.  But  the  Brazilian  capital,  rich  be3mnd 
comparison  with  its  natural  glories,  is  a Portuguese  cbys 
second  in  po]Hilation  among  the  cities  of  South  America. 


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